With the democratization of travel, the playground for cyclists is constantly expanding! Here are some cycling destinations you might not immediately think of, but which have incredible potential, whether you're traveling alone or in a group.
On the roads of the Golden Triangle
Despite the heat and sometimes questionable road conditions, "Southeast Asia is increasingly becoming an emerging destination for bike travel," according to Nathalie Lauzon of Vélo Québec Voyages, the province's largest cycling tourism agency. With an impressive variety of landscapes, winding roads unfold through green mountains, ancient temples, turquoise beaches, and terraced rice fields.
Vietnam and Thailand are the two easiest options, as most roads are paved. Laos and Cambodia offer a slightly higher level of difficulty, as roads are often unpaved. According to Ms. Lauzon, these are still uncrowded places for cycling tourism where beautiful discoveries can be made, provided your bike is adapted to unpaved roads.
Visiting these splendid countries by bike is one of the best ways to truly get a feel for the region and meet its warm inhabitants. What's more, these are inexpensive and very exotic destinations!
Through the Celtic immensity
Unlike Asia, where it is rather hot, Scotland and Ireland are two destinations where the climate is cooler and the landscapes impress with their immensity. Through little-traveled roads, green landscapes unfold, revealing ancient ruined castles and small villages around the valleys.
One of the attractions of these destinations, according to Ms. Lauzon, "is that a large proportion of the roads run along the water, which offers exceptional views!" These are countries accessible to all cyclists, regardless of their level, and the infrastructure is better established. In addition, most tourist attractions are easily accessible by bike.
America's natural treasures
America's diversity attracts many cyclists, like Lucie Poulin, who works at Cyclo Nord-Sud. Four years ago, she set off with her partner for a 19-month bicycle trip across the American continent. From Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, she reveals her two favorite spots on America's roads.
"The Carretera Austral is one of the most beautiful roads in the world!" she exclaims. It's a road of about 1,200 km in Patagonia, in southern Chile. "What's beautiful about this road is that you're in the middle of nature; you feel like you're in the prehistoric era, everything is so gigantic! There's a real natural opulence! Nature is pure, and the further south you go, the more authentic, isolated little villages you encounter, and the more alone in the world you feel." According to her, the difficulty is that it rains a lot, but the scenery is worth the detour.
Her other favorite is the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, a road of about 800 km in northern British Columbia. "Again, we are dominated by nature, by wild animals. There are a lot of bears, and the only people you meet are grizzly hunters! However, you have to be self-sufficient, as there's only one supply point in the middle. This road is really a great nature 'trip'. The scenery is astounding!"
Whether you are a cycling enthusiast planning a long journey or a simple vacationer who wants to combine travel and cycling, more and more interesting destinations are available to us. It's about finding what suits you best and daring to go off the beaten path.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Also a literature professor at Cégep de Saint-Laurent, Marie-France Bujold divides her time between teaching, journalism, and planning her next trip to some obscure land, from which she always brings back many photos... and ideas for reports.